About Us
New Business Department was founded over 25 years ago by Val Pestell, who still owns and fronts the company today, as an outsourced business development resource for companies of all sizes and across a whole range of industry sectors. Our simple premise: it’s far more sensible and cost effective to pay for what you actually need, rather than take on an overhead that you can’t afford or even justify.
New Business Department, as the name suggests, provides sales and new business support at all stages of the process and at all levels, from the most junior contacts within SMBs, all the way through to VP level within multi-national corporations.
Our clients are fully secure in the knowledge that they are in good hands: our experience covers over 25 years of front-line selling across a range of industries from Financial Services to IT, FMCG and B2B markets.
New business is the lifeblood of any company…
Our Approach
New business is the lifeblood of any company, no matter how large or small. It starts with good leads and carefully qualified appointments. And that usually means cold calling. But few people actually enjoy cold calling and there always seem to be more important and more immediate matters to attend to. So for many, it’s the area which is often most neglected.
Any new business process starts with an understanding of the target audience and a prospect list. Our experience tells us that purchased lists are often out of date or only target conventionally defined areas within large companies, thereby ignoring other budget holders or decision makers. We recommend that following a discussion with yourselves, we would research and compile our own list and supporting information on your behalf and have found that this usually yields better results for our clients.
Prospects would normally be identified by geographical location, by industry type or by a combination of both. There may be other parameters to consider too, such as annual turnover, number of offices, number of staff, etc, which would all be discussed prior to the research stage.
All businesses are different and therefore their requirements are different too. Our assignments over the years have included a range of services from simple ‘fact finding’ right through to booking appointments with senior personnel. Naturally we will cover everything in-between.
We also offer bespoke packages to fit your needs. These could vary from one day per month upwards, or working on an occasional project basis depending on your requirements at any one time. We work around you: not the other way round.
And of course, all our activity is carefully documented and an activity report sent back to you on a regular basis, enabling you to analyse and evaluate the results of your investment.
Speaking the same language as you…
Services
Appointment Setting
Working as part of your in-house team and representing your organization, speaking the same language as you in order to build relationships with your prospects, our task is to open doors and generate interest; to create the opportunity for you to present your company to the best of your ability.
We have experience of all market sectors, in the UK, in Europe and in the US, and will generate appointments from junior through to VP level.
Database Cleansing
Records are validated and new names and email addresses added where appropriate. This can offer significant cost savings on your marketing budget and should not be overlooked.
Validation
Providing information that allows you to target your ideal companies. We research the desired contact level and gather together the necessary information to enable the initial contact to be made.
Customer Satisfaction Surveys
This service involves calling your clients or their customers to ascertain their views on any services offered; where there may be areas of improvement; what they would like to see offered in the future; gathering feedback on new initiatives and generally gaining a greater understanding of their attitudes.
Research
This is often used during list building. A typical project would be to identify 3 senior contacts within a given company, find out their location and email address for use in future mailings or other targeted activity.
Live Leads
We may identify a great opportunity during our appointment setting, but not always at the right moment. Our challenge at this point is to be remembered in order to keep the door open so that we may be considered for future opportunities. We see it as central to the new business process to build and maintain relationships as these become warm leads and can pay dividends in the future.
Seminar and Exhibition Support
This activity is split broadly in to pre- and post-event activity.
Pre-event:
Our aim would be to secure the maximum number of exhibitors, speakers and attendees for your event…
- Updating and validating names and addresses, including email addresses prior to mailing date
- Warming Prospective lists before events
- Targeting activity and materials at exhibitors and suppliers
- Relationship marketing in order to reinforce commitment to attend or to exhibit
Post-event:
When the audience has taken the trouble to attend an event, this demonstrates a degree of commitment to the products and services on offer…
- Activity seeks to maximise the potential of this commitment in
- Commercial terms
- Follow up and activity prioritisation
Telemarketing Training
We offer guidance, techniques and support to telemarketing teams, including demonstrations and tricks of the trade, to encourage a positive attitude and feelings of confidence and assurance.
Professionalism and capability…
Results and Testimonials
Tenacity and Lively Approach
Having worked with Valerie for the past 18 months she has become an invaluable virtual member of the PHASE II prospecting and sales administration team
Her tenacity and lively approach has resulted in several key appointments being secured which have in turn been converted into new business. A worthwhile investment.
Derek MacLennan
PHASE II UK
£400,000 of Brand New Business
Since we started working with the New Business Department around 12 months ago, we have secured approximately £400,000 of brand new business, and this is in the context of a very difficult climate. And we’re talking household names here. We couldn’t have done it without them!
David Cox
The Connection Group Ltd
Expert Provider
Val is a trusted, expert provider of top quality telemarketing services. We have used her for a number of years and for each project she has demonstrated a level of professionalism and capability, rare in the market today.
We have full confidence in Val’s ability to work in just about any sector and to communicate with confidence and gravitas at all levels through to and including board level.
Think Smart Marketing only work with the very best specialist providers, our clients expect nothing less. We know with Val that’s exactly what we’re getting. I have no hesitation in recommending her.
Owen Ashby
Think Smart Marketing